hearts on hearts on hearts<3

Some bits of love from our lovely Valentine's Day...

This mama was feeling creative and loving, so naturally I made festive breakfast for Travis and Brooklynn.

Travis got a hearty breakfast of heart-shaped eggs in toast with heart toast cutouts for yolk dipping and funky-shaped heart-shaped bacon. 

He followed it up with lots of smooches, so I'd say he got the message "I <3 you!"

Brooklynn got heart-shaped pancakes  drizzled in almond butter. (healthy recipe here, just cook batter like pancakes instead of cookies.) 

Clearly, she was a fan.(: 

She also loved her Valentine's presents...

"Happy Valentine's, Curious George." and an elovephant, or that's what I'm calling it anyway. 

Then I had way too much fun playing with Cupid...

I mean, does it get any cuter?!(:

Travis made us a fantastic dinner of Quinoa pasta with a coconut milk and truffle sauce, mushrooms, asparagus, shrimp, and parmesan. I accidentally ate the kale, Brussels, and green apple salad before photographing it. oops. 

I'm such a lucky girl to have such a talented chef for a hubby.(: 

We hope your day was filled with love and heart-shaped things, and of course as we believe; love love love every day of the year.<333

xoxo. 

Brookie's Cookies!

You know what goes great with a snow day? 

 COOKIES! Warm, fresh out-of-the-oven, cookies.

She wasn't very amused, prefers the beach like her Mama.(;

It's a shivery day, and this Mama was craving warmth and sweets, so I decided to make cookies. Well, my little Brooklynn scarfs down everything I eat likes me to share my food with her. Being a clean eater myself, I have a very healthy recipe for cookies, so that I can indulge without the guilt. Don't you worry, I'll share the recipe momentarily.(: However, I use protein powder in mine, and that certainly isn't an ingredient I'm going to give my thirteen month old. So I got experimental and hopeful, and created the easiest, SUPER HEALTHY, and yummy cookies for Brooklynn. I call them Brookie's Cookies... Because I mean, who doesn't love to rhyme? She LOVES them, and I love knowing I'm filling her bitty growing body with nutrients and not junk. You can check out my post all about raising baby healthy here.

The house filled with that cozy and oh so familiar smell, and Brooklynn and I went back and forth from admiring the "pit-eee" (pretty) snowflakes fall outside the window to peering in through the oven glass to see if our "mmm" (yummies) were ready yet. Finally, after that ever so long "cooling period", our cookies were done. We sat together, just me and my baby girl, and shared a plate of cookies and of course, a big glass of almond milk. Such a simple thing, yet so sweet.

I hope that not only will you take away two awesome recipes from today, but remember to take time to just enjoy the little moments with your little ones, or any loved one for that matter. Appreciate the simplicity, for these little moments are the ones to cherish. Not only did I fill my desire for warmth and craving for sweets, I was also filled with the warmth of Brooklynn's love and sweet cuddles.(:<3

Brookie's Cookies:

(ZERO SUGAR, DAIRY, OR WHEAT FLOUR!)

-1 cup old fashioned oats (NOT instant/flavored crap)

-1 cup puréed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, but actual pumpkin.) 

-1 cup cooked sweet potato (We always have some cooked and mashed on hand, but you may need to allow extra time if you're baking yours first.) 

-1 tbsp. almond butter (the ONLY ingredient in ours is almonds.) 

-1 dash of cinnamon to your liking 

-1 smidge of coconut oil, just to grease the cookie sheet. 

***[Mamas ONLY: Use the same recipe and add a scoop of your favorite protein powder (be creative with flavors!) for the extra bit of oomph you might need! I nibble on them throughout the day to sustain energy and keep my metabolism going between meals.]***

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

-Pour all ingredients into whatever mixing device you use when baking that has blades, it will require them to turn oats into flour. I suppose a typical mixer would just give you an 'oatier' texture, but I cant make any guarantees that way. We use a food processor. 

-While it's mixing, grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil. It doesn't take much. 

-Once it's fully mixed (you may need to push down the batter, as it collects to the sides.) plop it out in whatever size portions you'd like onto cookie sheet. 

-Place them in the oven for 13-18 minutes. (Ovens DO vary and I don't want to be blamed for burned cookies, so adjust accordingly.)

-Set out to cool. (They will be soft and moist inside, that's how they're supposed to be; easier for bitty ones to chew/mash.) 

-PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be sure they're cooled off enough before your baby bites into one!!!

-Serve with a sippy cup of milk! We use Silk Original Almond Milk. 

-Drizzle a bit of almond butter on top while they're still warm for extra ooey gooey goodness. 

-Enjoy cookies with your kiddo!(:

***PLEASE KNOW YOUR CHILD'S ALLERGENS!***

Here's a picture of the ingredients I used, to keep it  sugar-free, wheat free, and dairy free. These are all REAL ingredients, and don't contain any junk! 

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! As always, feel free to ask any questions and of course share any baby friendly or healthy Mama recipes!(:

Thirteen Months!

Age: 

13 Months. Her doctor referred to her as a toddler. A toddler? No way. That happens when they're like two, right? I might be in denial.

Stats:

We haven't measured since her 1 year appt, but she was 27.75 inches long and 18.9lbs. She has 8 teeth; four on top and four on bottom. She wears different sizes across the board in clothing, brands are so inconsistent. Anywhere from 6-18 months. In diapers she wears a size 3. 

Favorite foods:

EVERYTHING! If I had to pick one that she wolfs down the quickest, it would be sweet potatoes, she probably eats at least half of a large one throughout a day. She also loves meat; chicken, salmon, lamb, and turkey to name a few. And beaaaaaaans, the kid loves beans of any kind! Fruits and veggies are plentiful in her daily diet too! See, I told you, EVERYTHING! You can see a full list of foods she eats here. We're very proud that we're raising a baby foodie.(: and a new post coming soon on some baby friendly cookies I made...

Least favorite foods:

There isn't anything she won't eat. We went through a brief stage that she spit out mangoes, but she chows down on them now. She's also doing better with the texture of leafy things. Again, yay for our adventurous eater!(:

Look who's talking:

1. "Dada" to her Daddy. 2. "DogDog" for dogs, obviously. 3. "Babyyyyyyyy" when she's crying for me, which is pretty much the saddest thing ever. 4. "Duuuu-ooattt!" Which I think is what's that? Or at least I always respond with whatever she's pointing at. 5. I said RAWR to her a couple weeks ago and she mimicked me. 6. As of two days ago she's pointing to say "pit-eeee" for pretty. Her Grammie taught her when pointing to all of the sparkly jewelry at the wedding dress boutique on Tuesday. She's now pointing to shiny and pretty things, and saying it. Today is was to the GIANT snowflakes falling outside.(: 7. And there are a lot of other combinations of sounds that I just know are intellectual statements, we just don't quite understand them yet. 

Favorite Things:

I love balloons! I just discovered them at my birthday party, and the giant "1" balloon we had is still up, I love to bop it and try to give it kisses. It's pretty rad. Every day should have balloons! I love so many different books, I couldn't name them all, but we read at least five a day. Touch and feel ones or ones with sound are extra fun! I do love all of my toys, but I tend to favor these the most: 1. B. Zany Zoo 2. Elephant Rocker 3. B. Toys Parum Pum Pum Drum 4. Crawl With Me Turtle 5. Take A Spin Around The Sea 6. Musical Tea Party 7.Sensory Shapes 8. Ring Stacker All of my stuffed pals get loving too, I just don't know where they're from. 

Favorite Activities:

I LOVE going to The Legends basketball games! Sitting courtside baby! All of the lights and sounds are amusing, but I actually get into the game.  I know a thing or two about some b-ball. I mean, you know my Daddy. I'm so proud to see him doing his thing at the games, and teaching me all about it. I'll be slamming dunks in no time! I also loveLOVElove to play with my toys, any and all of them. Mama and I spend all day playing different games to help me learn and grow. It's so much fun! I love reading stories just as much, sometimes I Iike Mama to read them to me, and other times I like to read it. I actually like "clean up, clean up" just as much as playing. I put all of my toys back in boxes or containers they came from when I'm done. Haven't figured out how to get my books back on the shelf though. Oh well, Mama seems to enjoy doing it a thousand times a day. I love to watch "Peter Rabbit", "Dinosaur Train", "Doc McStuffins", "Curious George", "Bubble Guppies", and "Cat in the Hat". Don't worry, I don't watch too much! We listen to music a lot, and I'm a fan of all the same stuff as Mama and Daddy; Pearl Jam, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, GNR, Coldplay, and that new song "Say Something" puts me to sleep nine times out of ten in the car. Bath time is another favorite of mine, especially now that I'm bigger and can really play with toys and splish splash. Mama says as soon as it warms up I can splish splash in the pool again, I can't wait, because I love swimming! Eating, how could I forget? I LOVE TO EAT! Mmm mmm mmm, more food please! Whatever's on Mama's plate, I'm scarfing it down. Ahhh, and tickles! I love the tickles and kisses! It makes me laugh so hard, and makes Mama and Daddy so happy! I really love going for elephant or Minnie Mouse plane rides, and long walks in the stroller to see all of the scenery. I also enjoy jumping around in my bouncer and watching a cartoon, but not for too long. I'm really just a happy happy girl and enjoy most things!(:

Least Favorite Activities:

I really hate getting my diaper changed, or my hands and face wiped clean. Maybe I wanted that quinoa in my ear and sweet potato mashed between my fingers for later, Mom. Oh and I do not like waiting for food, if I see you guys eating, you better share ASAP! My least favorite thing ever is being separated from you Mama, I'm just your girl. What can I say? Sometimes, if I don't see or hear you and I'm with Daddy or someone I really trust I'm okay, but if I know you're in the room I need to either see you or be held by you. I just love you so much Mama! And Mommy loves you! 

Signature moves and skills:

I'm crawling at lightening speed, cruising on all of the furniture, and standing up for a few seconds at a time without holding on. I can walk while holing on to a toy or your hands, but not quite on my own yet. I like to point at things, and have you tell me what they are. I can wave hi/bye and gives high-fives, when she wants to. I love dancing and waving my arms in the air, when I'm feeling the music. Shh, don't tell, but I do this adorable fake cough/cry/laugh thing for attention, as though she's not already getting all of it.  I also love to do this adorable thing, where I  flick my finger on my mouth, you know, to make that "blublubblubblub" sound, and I'd like everyone to do it with me.  Another thing I love is clapping! When I'm proud or excited, I clap. Then she gets proud and excited that she can clap... So we spend a lot of time clapping. I also love to give big kisses to Mama and Daddy, but only when I feel they really deserve it.(:

Mom's Proudest moment:

I sat her down in the living room momentarily, so that I could pee really quick before we left. Of course, she's fully dressed and ready to go. I come out to find her drenched, because she thought the dog's water bowl would be a fun thing to dump over. This may have happened a total of three times. Don't worry, I'm writing my acceptance speech for the Mother of the Year award now. 

Dad's Proudest Moment: 

Well, now that I've calmed down about this one I guess maybe I can laugh at it. We were cooking out at a friend's house a couple weekends ago, and I was walking B in her stroller around the neighborhood to get her to nap. Well, I had to pee really bad (it seems things only happen when I go pee, guess I should stop that.) So Travis came to take over for me to run inside. It's a beautiful Sunday and were BBQ-ing, and what not, so naturally he had a beer in hand. Or not. Not in his hand, but in the cup holder of the stroller. You know where this is going... He hit a bump. Beer everywhere. All over her stroller. Her blanket. A few drops on her head. After an irritated "are you f*%?#$@ kidding me?!?" and an immediate baby wipe bath, we were all good and B hadn't even noticed. The stroller was cleaned up and dried, without a hint of brewski smell. The guilt he had was bad enough, so my wrath of fury went away quickly. I mean what's life if you can't laugh at the hiccups? 

I can't believe it's been a month since she turned a year, but then again, I can't believe she turned a year! Time flies so fast! We're enjoying every minute of it though! We can't wait to see all of the new skills she will acquire and watch even more of her personality develop in the next month. We love you more than I could ever write into a blog, you complete our world sweet girl! Mommy and Daddy love you with all of our hearts!<3

I said "YES TO THE DRESS"!

Insert ridiculously giddy happy dance here.

If you read my last post here, you know I ended it with a mention of going to my first appointment to try on wedding dresses. So this is how it went...

So this past Saturday, my MOH Jordan greeted me with my drug of choice favorite drink; a Venti Skinny Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, in case you want to know the way to my heart, that's it. Then off we went to Winnie Couture to start playing dress up. We arrived to the boutique, and upon arrival I was filled with excitement and the sparkling chandeliers and complimentary champagne just amplified the feeling. After filling out some brief paperwork, we were led to the room where all of the magic happens. No, not the bedroom of a rapper on MTV Cribs. But the most glamorous room filled with gowns just dying to be tried on. So without wasting a minute, Jordan and I picked out our favorites. Naturally, she and I have the same taste, so that worked out very well. I picked a total of five dresses to try on. 

So I put on the first dress. I loved it; it had all of the features I was looking for and I felt beautiful. I walked around and twirled, it was pretty throughout. I felt excited about it, but definitely still felt the need to try on the others. I wasn't going to pull the trigger that quick. Then came dress number two, shortly followed by number three. They were pretty dresses, I mean obviously I picked them out. hah. However, they weren't as beautiful as the first. Well, it turns out I did love the first dress, though I think the real attachment came from it being the first wedding dress I've ever worn. I mean, it took my dress v-card after all. But then, I fell in love...

I fell in love with dress number four. The minute I stepped into it, I felt like a princess. I stared in awe at myself in the mirror, not in vanity of myself, but with the dress. I began to laugh and smile so hard my dimples cramped, which is a feeling only my fiancé Travis has given me. I began to cry, but the happiest of tears. I felt hot and tingly all over. I was on a silk cloud, fluffed with organza, and sparkling with the prettiest of crystals. This was the dress. I imagined myself saying "I do" in this dress. I knew in my heart, this was the one. The butterflies I felt were the same as the ones I felt when Travis proposed. It was just meant to be. I danced in it, from an elegant twirl and dip to a little twerk action (just kidding if any older relatives read this.) I sipped champagne and hugged my best friend in it. It felt so natural during all of it. Some may think I'm being dramatic over something that's material, but it's more than that. Once you've had that moment, you understand. It's magical and I know the actual fairytale day that I get to wear it will be beyond compare. Obviously, this  dress was the one. I just needed my Mama to see me in it, I needed her to be there, when I made the commitment to it. So she was able to come out yesterday. We brought my daughter Brooklynn with us and she was entranced by Mama in what seemed to be the most mesmerizing thing she'd ever seen. That sealed the deal for me. My Mama was able to witness the joy it brought me firsthand and she told me just how beautiful I was in this gorgeous gown, and with her smiling approval and extreme generosity, I said 

"YES TO THE DRESS!"(:<3(:<3(:3

ps. Sorry, no pictures! I'm not going to spoil it before the big day!

I POPPED the question!?

...and my best friend said "I do." to be my Maid of Honor!(:<3

This Saturday was definitely one to cherish. I created this box as a fun and creative way to ask my best friend Jordan to be my Maid of Honor. Of course, she said yes!

So what's in the box? 

1. Ring Pop: because the MOH deserves to have the questioned popped with some sweet jewelry too.

2. Korbel Champagne & flute: because on that special day, I'll need my bff sipping by my side. That, and again with the "popping".

3. Brazilian Orchid candle: because it smells incredible, duh! Well, and I know something calming will be nice to relax to during all the helping me plan. 

4. Framed photo: because it's a throwback photo of when we were younger in the beginning of our friendship. Of course, it can be replaced with a new photo during all of the wedding festivities. 

I put it all in a box, like treasure, so that she can keep it contained and use the box for the cherished momentos to come.

And if you're clever, you may have picked up on the wedding color scheme.(; 

So to kick off all the fun, we went to my first wedding dress appointment...

...but more on dress shopping in my next post.(;

Thank you best friend, I can't wait for all of the fun to come! I love you!(:<3